Cerebral Palsy: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Medical Negligence

August 28, 2014

Cerebral palsy, a condition that has mental and physical impacts, can be caused by medical negligence before, during or after the birthing process.

Cerebral palsy (CP), an umbrella term that refers to a group of conditions, develops as a result of some damage to the developing brain. While there may be a number of environmental and biological factors that can contribute to the development of cerebral palsy, in many cases, CP develops as a result of some pregnancy complication and/or medical negligence that results in this birth injury.

Approximately 1 out of every 323 children in the U.S. is living with cerebral palsy.

More than 40 percent of children living with cerebral palsy are also living with some other serious impairment like epilepsy.

Given the prevalence of cerebral palsy and the fact that, in many cases, medical negligence can contribute to this birth injury, in this article we’ll take a closer look at the facts about cerebral palsy. If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, we are ready to meet with you to help you determine whether your child’s CP may have been caused or worsened by some type of medical negligence.

Cerebral Palsy Facts: An Overview of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy can manifest in various forms, depending on the area of the brain that has been damaged. While many of the people living with cerebral palsy will have a combination of cognitive and motor impairments, the specific types of cerebral palsy are classified as follows:

Spastic cerebral palsy – As the most common form of CP, spastic cerebral palsy is characterized by muscle stiffness, increased muscle tone and awkward movement. Spastic CP can impact only one side of a person’s body or his entire body, and this type of cerebral palsy accounts for about 80 percent of all CP cases.

Dyskinetic cerebral palsy – With this type of CP, people will not be able to control their movements and can experience rapid jerky movements, writhing or some combination thereof.

Ataxic cerebral palsy – This type of cerebral palsy impacts a person’s balance and coordination and can, more specifically, affect a person’s ability to write, reach and pick things up.

Cerebral Palsy Symptoms

Cerebral palsy symptoms will vary with age, as well as the type of CP a baby has. Contact us to find out if your child’s CP may have been caused by medical negligence.

In general, diagnosing CP occurs in the months or within the first year after a baby is born. This is because the symptoms of cerebral palsy will not usually become apparent until it’s obvious that an infant is not reaching certain milestones. Specifically, cerebral palsy symptoms are as follows:

Many cerebral palsy diagnoses occur within a child’s first three years of life.

When Negligence Causes Cerebral Palsy or Other Birth Injuries

Because the forms of medical negligence that can contribute to cerebral palsy can vary, contact our Portland birth injury lawyers to find out if negligence caused your child’s CP.

Tragically, there will be some cases of cerebral palsy that may have stemmed from the mistakes or reckless behavior of a medical professional before, during or immediately after a child’s birth. Specifically, such medical negligence can come in the form of:

Failing to recognize (and immediately respond to) signs of maternal or fetal distress during labor, birth or immediately after birth

Failing to treat a maternal infection (like, for instance, meningitis)

There may be other forms of medical negligence that can contribute to the birth injuries that cause cerebral palsy.

Because it may not always be obvious if or when some type of medical negligence has contributed to cerebral palsy, it’s critical to consult with an experienced birth injury attorney for a professional case evaluation.

Portland Birth Injury Lawyers at the Savage Law Firm

Has your child been diagnosed with cerebral palsy? If so, the Portland birth injury attorneys at the Savage Law Firm can help you determine whether medical negligence may have contributed to your child’s condition. Since 1977, we have been dedicated to providing each of our clients with the highest quality legal services, and we are ready to advocate your rights if you are entitled to compensation for your child’s birth injuries.

Contact Us Today

Helping you recover from the financial setbacks caused by birth injuries is one of our primary goals. Our Portland birth injury attorneys encourage you to learn more about your rights and case by setting up a free initial consult.

To learn more about our legal services and what we can do for you, call us at 503-222-0200 (in Portland) or at 206-957-7272 (in Seattle). You can also email us using the form on this page.

We represent clients in communities in both Oregon and Washington from our offices in Portland and Seattle.

The Savage Law Firm provides legal advice and representation for personal injury and civil litigation plaintiffs in Portland, Oregon, and communities throughout the western and central part of the state, including Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Gresham, Oregon City, Tigard, Milwaukie, Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass, Salem,
Corvallis and Eugene.

The firm also provides service in Washington state including Seattle, Tacoma, Renton, Redmond, King County and Bellevue.

Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee results in any particular case. The cases described in this website are only examples.